Fans left the Somerset derby on Saturday night unable to declare which was the better local team but the goalless stalemate made more certain that there will unlikely be any such derbies next season.

Neither Somerset Trojans nor Somerset Eagles did themselves any favours by failing to despatch their myriad opportunities and the one point that both teams earned left them still anchored in the Premier League?s bottom half.a

Eagles? situation is the more desperate of the two in the penultimate position on just eight points and with just four games remaining to avoid relegation.

Neighbouring Trojans are six points and one place above them in the eight-team standings and though slowly and painstakingly pulling themselves away from the dreaded drop, their fate is far from assured yet.

The 0-0 conclusion at Somerset Cricket Club has therefore given both teams a lot to ponder as the league battle heads into the home stretch.

There were flashes of brilliance at either end of the pitch on Saturday night but it was the goalkeepers who shone, resisting all efforts to breach their line ? and sometimes helped by sloppy finishing.

A scrappy opening gave way to a period of sustained pressure by Eagles as the first half drew to a close.

In one instance, Darin Dowling turned his marker, sped down the left wing before cutting in towards the left post. His low, hard shot was parried wide by diving Trojans custodian Timmy Figureido. The resulting corner by Adolphus Lambert, played out wider than normal, presented Marco Butterfield with a chance to carve a stunning right-foot volley towards goal where a beaten Figureido had defender Andrew Rahman to thank for blocking the ball on the line.

The visitors? siege continued with Lambert rifling in a strong, testing cross from the left which Dowling failed to get enough of a glancing header on to divert it past Figureido.

Andrew Rahman?s long-range free kick almost let Trojans striker Dwight Basden in at the back post just before the break as the hosts sought to answer back.

Frustratingly, the second session was much of the same with good potential falling victim to excellent work between the uprights or poor control and a lack of precision at critical junctures.

As tension rose, Rahman breathed a sigh of relief as a Lambert free kick from near the right corner flag peeled off the defender?s boot, as he attempted to clear, and skimmed over Trojans crossbar.

Anthony Webb?s introduction with 30 minutes left almost reaped reward for Trojans as he was quickly into the thick of the action, crossing a ball from the left flank for a Basden point-blank volley which diving Eagles goalkeeper Ian Raynor miraculously held on the line.

T.Figureido, A.Rahman, R.Scott, K.Roberts, D.Minors, D.Rahman, D.Outerbridge, K.Simmons (A.Webb, 58 mins), D.Basden, C.Moulder, D.Stovell. I.Raynor, M.Butterfield, D.Burgess, E.Greenwood, J.Tucker, M.Dill (L.Woods, 86 mins), K.Richardson (L.Crofton, 61 mins), A.Lambert, S.Worrell, R.Wilson, D.Dowling. D.Rahman, D.Stovell (Trojans); R.Wilson (Eagles). D.Stovell/T.Figureido (Trojans); I.Raynor (Eagles). J.Pimentel.